Fire extinguisher discharge valve assembly



Dec. 5, 1961 c. K. HUTHSING, SR 3,011,514

FIRE EXTINGUISHER DISCHARGE VALVE ASSEMBLY Filed Feb. 4, 195

INVENTOR. Camus K. Humsme Sn.

FIG. 4. BYwazfawmw "A TTORNEYJ United States Patent 3,011,514 FIRE EXTINGUISHER DISCHARGE VALVE ASSEMBLY Charles K. Huthsing, Sr., 8740 Washington Blvd., Culver City, Calif. Filed Feb. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 791,172 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-328) This invention generally relates to an improved fire extinguisher valve body, and more particularly concerns an improved fire extinguisher valve, body for use with portable, manually actuated fire extinguisher tank units.

Conventional portable type fire extinguishers normally consist of a tank for holding the particular liquid, gaseous, or powder fire extinguishing agent which has threadedly coupled to the outlet opening thereof a head assembly. The latter includes a valve structure, a handle for carrying the fire extinguisher unit, and a lever means for actuating the valve to permit discharge of the contents of the fire extinguisher tank.

All present day fire extinguisher head assemblies normally include a threaded-lower portion for threaded coupling to the tank collar or outlet opening. In order to securely screw the head assembly into the tank opening, it is also conventional practice to embody in the head body nut-like side walls for receiving a wrench or other tool whereby the head assembly may be rotated in threaded relationship down into the tank unit.

It will be appreciated that by providing the wrench receiving structure on the valve assembly along the major axis thereof, in accordance with the normal design, it is necessary to increase the overall height of the valve assembly. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult (if not impossible with certain designs) to employ a standard wrench or tool, which has jaws adaptable to be positioned about the nut-like side walls to effect turning of the valve assembly down into the tankunit. oftentimes, when standard tools are used, awkward manipulation may effect damage to the valve body and threads of the lower portion of the valve assembly such that the valve assembly as such must be replaced.

Other disadvantages of the conventional valve assembly structure result from the fact that in view of the disposition of the wrench receiving side walls, it is difiicult to obtain anysubstantial leverage as the side walls are disposed in positions substantially close to the major axis of the valve assembly unit about which it is turned as it is threaded into the tank. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the embodiment of nut-like side walls in the central part of the conventional valve assembly as such requires substantially greater expense and material in the manufacture and casting of said valve assemblies than would be required if the side walls were not necessitated in this area.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved fire extinguisher discharge valve assembly in which means are Provided integrally with the valve body to accommodate a standard wrench for conveniently screwing or threadingly coupling and uncoupling the valve body to the tank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved fire extinguisher discharge valve body, according to the aforegoing object, in which the means employed enable a greater leverage to be exerted on the valve assembly for threadingly coupling it into the tank unit.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved fire extinguisher valve body in which the means accommodating the wrench for coupling the valve body to the tank are displaced from the other components and particularly the threaded portion of the valve 3,011,514 Patented Dec. 5, 1961 body such that injury to said components or the threaded portion may be averted.

Still another object of thev present invention is to provide an improved fire extinguisher discharge valve assembly in which the overall height is decreased substantial- 1y relative to present day constructions, and in which a substantial savings in labor and material may be achieved.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are generally attained by providing in a fire extinguisher discharge valve body having a conventional threaded neck for screwing into the tank, means accommodating a standard wrench for threadingly coupling the valve body into the tank. The means preferably comprises a lug integrally formed with the valve body and extending radially outwardly from the major axis thereof. The lug includes first side walls and second side walls which are spaced apart to receive a standard wrench or tool.

A better understanding of the present invention will be had by reference to the drawings, showing merely an illustrative embodiment, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a conventional dis. charge valve assembly;

FIGURE 2 is a partial top elevational view of an improved discharge valve assembly, according to the present invention, with a dotted line showing indicating the comparative valve body size of the conventional discharge valve assembly according to FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the'improved discharge valve assembly, according to the present invention, with a comparative dotted line showing of the lower and upper valve body portions of the conventional discharge valve assembly of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the improved discharge valve assembly according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG- URE 1 a conventional discharge valve assembly 10 including a generally designated valve body 11 and threaded neck member 12. The valve assembly 10 further includes a conventional carrying handle 13 and operat ing lever 14 suitably coupled with pins or the like to the valve body 11. The threaded discharge opening 16 communicates with the interior of the valve body 11 as does the safety nut assembly 15 in accordance with present day fire extinguisher designs.

In accordance with present day practice, in order to securely thread the valve assembly 10 down into the usual threaded tank opening (not shown), it is necessary to manipulate a wrench or equivalent member about the side walls of the lower portion of the valve body 11.

Because of the projecting portions of the valve body 11 including the portion for coupling the handle 13 and the portion forming the discharge member 16, it is extremely difiicult to secure a wrench properly to the valve body without causing damage, for example, to the member 16 or the threaded neck 12. Furthermore, since the side walls of the valve body 11 are relatively close to the major axis thereof, an appreciable amount of force and leverage must be employed in order to sealably couple the threaded neck member 12 to the extinguisher tank.

The present invention overcomes the aforementioned difficulties in accordance with the objects previously stated. The showing of FIGURE 1 is believed to illustrate and clarify the difiiculties of properly threading a conventional discharge valve assembly into an extinguisher tank in order that the present invention may be properly evaluated.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, there is shown an improved discharge valve assembly 20 in accordance with the present invention. The discharge valve assembly 20 includes a conventionalthreaded neck 21 and an improved valve body 22. Coupled to the valve body 22 is a conventional carrying handle 23 and operating lever 24.

The valve body 22 has projecting therefrom a boss 26 to receive a safety nut assembly 25, the latter being of identical construction to the safety nut assembly 15 of the conventional unit of FIGURE 1. The valve body 22 further embodies a conventional dischargcopening member 27, identical to the member 16 of FIGURE 1.

In accordance with a primary feature of the present invention, the valve body 22 has integrally formed therewith and radially extending therefrom a lug member, generally designated by the numeral 28. The lug member is recessed in its upper and lower surface portions, for example, as at 29 to thereby define a terminal ridge 30 in its side wall areas. The recessed portion 29 decreases the overall amount of material required for the lug 28 while the ridged outer surface areas 30 provide a sufliciently enlarged gripping surface to accommodate a standard type wrench, as will be hereafter described.

The lug 28 is preferably provided with parallel rectilinear side walls 31 and 32 such that a standard type crescent type wrench 33 (as seen in FIGURE 2) may be conveniently employed.

It will be evident that by providing the lug 29 such that it projects radially from the major axis of the valve body 22, a substantially increased leverage is imparted to the threaded neck 21 as the discharge valve assembly 29 is coupled to the tank unit.

Furthermore, by referring to FIGURE 3, it is evident that a substantial savings in the overall height of the discharge valve assembly is efrected by using such a projecting lug 28 as a wrench receiving means.

Thus, as indicated in FIGURE 3, the conventional discharge valve assembly of FIGURE 1 includes a lower valve body portion 11a and an upper valve body portion 11b indicated by the dotted line showings. It will be seen that the overall height of these respective valve body portions 11a and 11b is appreciably greater than the corresponding valve body portions 22a and 22b of the improved valve body assembly according to the present invention.

Thus, by providing the lug 28 in accordance with the present invention, the overall height of the valve body assembly is appreciably reduced without any lessening in the strength or functions thereof.

It is further evident that in view of the distance which the side walls 31 and 32 of the lug 28 extend from the major axis or" the valve body 22 that the wrench or equivalent tool may be readily clamped against the side walls 31 and 32 without the possibility of inadvertently damaging the threads on the neck 21 or on the discharge member 27 or other coupled or projecting parts of the valve body 22.

It is thus believed that the present invention results in a more conveniently manipulated and manufactured valve body assembly, while at the same time resulting in a savings in assembly and enabling the use of smaller amounts of material and a decrease in overall dimensions. Of course, many variations and changes may be made in the improved valve body of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fire extinguisher valve body including a threaded neck portion for screwing into a tank, a lug integrally formed with said body projecting radially outwardly from that portion of the body formed along the axis of the threaded portion, said lug including sidewalls in rectilinear and parallel relationship and adapted to receive a wrench having correspondingly shaped walls, said lug having a minor dimension in a direction parallel to said axis.

2. A fire extinguisher valve body, according to claim 1, in which said sidewalls, respectively, terminate in upper and lower ridged portions projecting above and below, respectively, the upper and lower surface portions of said lug.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 760,682 Card May 24, 1904 1,235,657 Coles Aug. 7, 1917 r 2,506,074 Fawkes May 2, 1950 

